Page 271 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

POIt THE YEAR 1013. 129
a taibah tribo before returning to his capital. Lator ovcnts proved, however,
that his objoctivo was really the Turkish garrison at Uasa and the ojcctmont
of ali Turks from Eastern Arabia.
fbii Rashid's Raids —In the 2nd week of May, it was stated that
jjjii Hash id had raided some sections of the Ataibah tribo some 90 miles South­
west of Hail in the vicinity of Jabal Muwashan. It appears tho Ataibah had
previously raided the ITarb tribe, who are Ibn Rashid’s followers, and had
{(.fused to make restitution of tho loot.
The Araif.—During tho year tho Araif (cousins of Bin Saud), have mado
co move nor succeeded in causing any diversions; some of them are still in
sanctuary with the Sharif of Mecca and tho Katr Shaikhs.
Tho year has been a lean one for tho desert tribes for tho want of the later
rains precluded the possibility of a good
Tribal Politics.
fodder year and the consequent scantiness
of herbage much lowered the condition of Bedouin flocks, herds and cattle.
The Political Agent in the course of his spring tour, however, found that
further south conditions were better, tho country having received a fair amount
of rain and Bedouin of tho Mutair, Sabai, and Kahtan tribes were all in tho
vicinity of the Dahanah ridge and southern Summaa district, while their cattlo
appeared to he in first class condition. The country, however, showed the
want of rain and such herbage as there was had already dried up in April
with the approach of the hot weather. The desert north of the Summau tract
as far as Kuwait was almost bare of herbage practically no rain, having fallen
siuce January.
Raids aud counter-raids have not been frequent among the tribes for the
same reason as given in previous reports, viz :—the friendly relations existing
between Shaikh Mubarak, Bin Saud and Ibn Rashid. Some of the tribes
even complain that, with tbeso rulers so firm in their alliances, their own
principal occupation, that of raiding, is gone.
Bedouin Shaikhs.—A number of Bedouin Shaikhs visited the Political
Agent at various times of the year, among them being Mutlaq bin Mahailab,
Ilaif bin Azah bin Ishqair and Bandar bin Naif bin Ishqair, Shaikhs of the
Rutftir tribe, who called on the Political Agent in January.
The Mutair Tribe.—At the end of July it was reported that Mandil Ibn
Ghanaiman of the Malaibah section of the Mutair had raided the Safran sec­
tion of the A jman tribe at Makah taking over 200 camels, the casualties being
one man killed on each side.
The Ajman Tribe.—News was received in the 3rd week of February, that
a party of the Ajraan who had gone to raid tho Mutair tribe near Haniyah
found some of the Rashaidah encamped in the vicinity and attacked them
killing three men and looting all their camels. The loss on their side was said
to have been two men and two horses killed. This raid impaired the good
relations between the Ajman and Bin Saud and Shaikh Mubarak and was due
to the weakness of their Shaikhs, the Hithlain family, in being unable to
^strain their younger warriors.
Two small parties of Ajman and Mutair Bedouins came into collision near
" ara Hill, on the 16th June, apparently with little damage to either side.
At the end of July, it was reported that Adh-Dhamir, a Shaikh of the
■^jrean tribe, had raided some 600 to 600 camels belonging to the Tawatah
Action of the Anizah tribe allied to Shaikh Mubarak at Safwan. Shaikh
Mubarak, it was stated, had written to Bin Saud, to punish the raiders and
enforce restitution of tho looted camels, which was duly carried out later in
the year.
tMuntafik Tribe.—News was received in the seoond week of February, that
jnaikh Ajaimi bin Sadun of the Muntafik with the Adh-Dawish section oi tho
Mutair tribe, bad raided the Ba’adur, a sub-seotiou of tho Muntafik and that
^nie 300 to 4.00 camels wore takon as loot. The raid took place in the yicinity
M Abu Gbar, north-west from Jabel Sannm. In the third vreok of Moroh it was
sported that a sevore fight hod taken place at Haniyah between him and his
°U8ins, sons of Falih bin Nasir, in which the former was said to have lost oyer